Fish that eat Bristle worms

[BUDgetREEFer]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum with a 2 month old tank and I had a weird question.

Does anyone know if eating bristle worms hurt the fish that eat them? I know the six line wrasse are known for controlling the worms but doesn't it bother the fish to have those bristles suck in its mouth? Maybe they are designed that way? If so, what's up with gobies and dottybacks eating bristle worms as well? It must hurt them or make them uncomfortable at the very least. When I say hurt I dont mean pain, I guess I just mean inhibiting their normal function? (Not being able to close its mouth etc). I know size plays a factor but for arguments sake let's just say the fish is always the predator in this situation.

And if it doesn't hurt them, why dont all carnivorous fish eat these worms?

 

[Maritimer]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I should imagine that those fish who frequently prey on bristleworms have some method for dealing with the worms' rather effective deterrent ... perhaps the inside of a 6-line's mouth is tougher than it looks?

Someone on the #reefsquad may know more than I about how they handle those unpleasant spines . . .

~Bruce

 

[LetItReef]

From what I read, Arrow crab eats the small ones.

 

[4FordFamily]

Bristle worms have destroyed even voracious worm-eating wrasse mouths in the past. I’m not familiar with a fish unaffected by the potent sting but they may well exist.

Also welcome home to R2R, you will love it here!

 

[AdamNC]

Neon Dottybacks I know for a fact do. They are an aggressive species but I’ve seen them take them out first hand.

 

[Jesterrace]

@ the OP, what size is your tank as it will allow us a better idea of what will work for you. 6 line wrasses will eat them but are also terrible tankmates for fish and IMHO not a good option in the long run. Arrow Crabs can take them out but they also can turn to coral nibbling, eating small inverts and even slower moving fish if the opportunity presents itself. If you have at least a 4 foot long tank then my first recommendation would be the Halichoeres Wrasses (ie Christmas, Red Lined, Melanurus, Yellow). Be aware they will occasionally pick off snails, hermits and smaller ornamental shrimp, but they will leave corals and other fish alone (provided you go with one of the generally peaceful varieties. The other advantage is that they are beautiful and active fish full of personality.

https://aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.c...&method=and&view=grid&af=temperament:peaceful

 

[BUDgetREEFer]

@ the OP, what size is your tank as it will allow us a better idea of what will work for you. 6 line wrasses will eat them but are also terrible tankmates for fish and IMHO not a good option in the long run. Arrow Crabs can take them out but they also can turn to coral nibbling, eating small inverts and even slower moving fish if the opportunity presents itself. If you have at least a 4 foot long tank then my first recommendation would be the Halichoeres Wrasses (ie Christmas, Red Lined, Melanurus, Yellow). Be aware they will occasionally pick off snails, hermits and smaller ornamental shrimp, but they will leave corals and other fish alone (provided you go with one of the generally peaceful varieties. The other advantage is that they are beautiful and active fish full of personality.

https://aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.c...&method=and&view=grid&af=temperament:peaceful

Hey, I have a 40 breeder. I got a 6 line earlier this week just to start controlling the population. Looking into a all fish tank in a year or so so I would be moving the wrasse there. Arrow crabs sound good but dont they kill other inverts too? I have a peppermint shrimp, green crab, and several snails.

 

[BUDgetREEFer]

Neon Dottybacks I know for a fact do. They are an aggressive species but I’ve seen them take them out first hand.

Thats the next fish I was going to get that or a semi aggresive goby

 

[Marv]

I had a Longnose Hawkfish that kept the bristle worm population under control.

 

[Reefbuds]

I've never seen my 6-line eat one before but I'm sure he did. I did however see my arrow crab with one almost everyday. Some pretty big at one point, but he was a big arrow as well.
If you want something to really control them get an Arrow Crab. They cruise the rock all day picking in holes for food source and will eat it's fair share.
Controlling feeding habits will also go a long way in controlling the population.

 

[Reefbuds]

Hey, I have a 40 breeder. I got a 6 line earlier this week just to start controlling the population. Looking into a all fish tank in a year or so so I would be moving the wrasse there. Arrow crabs sound good but dont they kill other inverts too? I have a peppermint shrimp, green crab, and several snails.

I've never seen my arrow kill another invert besides another arrow crab. I had 2 in my 55g and they ended up fighting to death.. of course I thought they were mating that night lol. I now only keep 1 in my tank as they like to roam. Never seen it attack any living invert and I have green emeralds, snails, and hermits

 

[ca1ore]

My dusky wrasse eats most pests, both actual and imagined , including bristle worms. Been doing it for the 6 years I’ve had him and never appears the worse for wear. Deer ate all my rose bushes, thorns and all. Animals are adapted to eat what they eat.

 

[Sgolden]

Interestingly enough, I saw my banded butterfly tear into a bristle worm. It constantly hunts the crevices with the leapard wrasse. But when it went after the bristle worm it was quit viscous about it .

 

[hankacrank]

Apparently my elegance coral does...

 

[DeniableArc]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum with a 2 month old tank and I had a weird question.

Does anyone know if eating bristle worms hurt the fish that eat them? I know the six line wrasse are known for controlling the worms but doesn't it bother the fish to have those bristles suck in its mouth? Maybe they are designed that way? If so, what's up with gobies and dottybacks eating bristle worms as well? It must hurt them or make them uncomfortable at the very least. When I say hurt I dont mean pain, I guess I just mean inhibiting their normal function? (Not being able to close its mouth etc). I know size plays a factor but for arguments sake let's just say the fish is always the predator in this situation.

And if it doesn't hurt them, why dont all carnivorous fish eat these worms?

G’day from Australia! My six line wrasse has demolished my bristle worm population.

 

[OrionN]

Why do bristle worms can be seen only at night in most reef tank? It is becasue most fishes will eat them like candy. At one time or another I have seen my fishes, even my clowns, with a mouthful of bristles and these are gone overnight (these bristles are CaCO3 so just dissolved). All the fish that hunt the surfaces of the rocks and sand will eat them. File fish, CBB, Melanurus wrasse, leopard wrasse, China wrasse in my tank right now have pull bristle worms out and eat them. Many worms that are less than 2 inches get pull out and swallow as they wiggles. The larger ones get holes bite out of them.
My large Magnifica anemone ate a huge one once and look sick for a few days. I got a picture of this epic battle on RC server somewhere, but no longer able to find it.

BTW, I really hope R2R server won't so the same way at Reefs.org and RC in 10-15 more years.

 

[g_craig]

Gulf Coast Toad fish will clean up the bristle worm problem! Yes they will grow up to eat everything but if you get a small one and your other fish won’t fit in it’s mouth it will take care of the bristle worm problem we have tried everything else and I have had him in my tank for almost a month and all the small worms are gone and the only ones left are the really big ones I try to catch when the come out during feeding. I live in Tampa so I caught a very small one about 2 inches and I don’t see these fish sold in stores not sure if anyone sells them but very common in the grassy flats to get with a dip net or cast net. I hope this helps anyone that is feed up with bristle worms we were told to just break down our tank and start over if we wanted them gone.